The final sparks of Iryss and Draven's duel still shimmered faintly in the training yard. Instructor Ardan didn't offer praise or comment. His sharp eyes merely noted everything, expression unreadable.
Then, without pause, he called out the next match.
"Caelum Virellian."
Caelum exhaled through his nose and stood, smooth and deliberate. He didn't rush. No sense of urgency. No show of nervousness or eagerness.
He simply walked down to the sparring ring like he belonged there.
"Your opponent," Ardan continued, "Gareth Velmoor."
A few murmurs fluttered through the class.
Gareth was no push-over. A low D-Tier with an aggressive brawler style, he already made a name in local tournaments before coming to Eidaleon. Known for his solid aura reinforcement and brute power, he was the kind of fighter who crushed his way through problems.
He cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward, confident and grinning.
"So, I get the mystery guy, huh?" Gareth said with a short laugh.
Caelum said nothing. He simply rolled his shoulders, loosening up.
Instructor Ardan stepped back, raising his hand.
"No lethal strikes. Begin when the glyph flashes."
A circular sigil flared between them — a pulse of soft white light.
Gareth moved first.
A direct charge, full of momentum. He covered the distance between them with a shout, swinging a heavy, aura-reinforced punch aimed square at Caelum's ribs.
Caelum didn't dodge wildly. He didn't leap or block.
Instead, he stepped just half a pace to the left, letting the blow pass him by with minimal effort. His posture remained upright, centered — precise.
Gareth blinked. "Huh?"
And then, Caelum struck.
A palm. Open. Direct. Planted just beneath Gareth's sternum.
There was no flare of dramatic power. No blinding light.
Just a pulse of tightly-controlled mana — condensed, compressed, and detonated at the point of impact.
Boom.
Gareth's body jolted. He was blasted backward, feet scraping against the training floor, arms flailing as he tried to regain balance. He landed hard, skidding until the back of his shoulder hit the outer barrier.
The assistant's eyes widened.
"Match over," Ardan said calmly.
A few gasps escaped. Not loud — but enough to cut through the silence.
Caelum lowered his hand, exhaled once, and turned away from the ring.
The entire exchange had lasted less than five seconds.
Gareth groaned, sitting up with a dazed look, hand clutching his chest.
"Damn… what the hell was that…"
____
Selene Rhiannon watched with narrowed eyes, her arms folded.
That wasn't an accident. He read Gareth's angle perfectly. Then countered perfectly, with minimal motion. No waste movements.
That strike had the precision of a trained knight.
She recognized it instantly — not because of instinct, but experience. Countless hours watching duels in the royal court. Training alongside elite knights in her kingdom.
Zephyr Arkwyn clicked his tongue, arms behind his head as he lounged on the bench.
"Well, he's not weak," he muttered.
But something about it irritated him. Maybe it was the silence. The ease.
No flames. No shouting. Just… done.
Elandra Voss was more intrigued than annoyed. Her fingers traced an idle pattern on her leg as she leaned forward.
That control. The way he compressed the mana without triggering any outer flare…
He's not fresh. That kind of control doesn't come in a month.
Draven's eyes didn't move from Caelum's back as the latter returned to his seat. He didn't speak — but his fingers tightened slightly around his wrist guard.
Iryss, meanwhile, whispered to herself with a thoughtful grin.
"Did he just use a pulse technique without a chant?"
She leaned back, eyes glinting.
____
Caelum returned to his seat as if nothing had happened. He ignored the glances, the brief stares, the whispers.
That went well.
He hadn't even used aura. He hadn't even drawn deep.
Just enough to remind them that he's the one whose potential surpasses even Tier S.
Instructor Ardan resumed calling the next pairs, showing no outward reaction. But his eyes did flick briefly toward Caelum again, thoughtful.
____
As the session wrapped up and students began to disperse for the midday break, the Platinum Class was quieter than it had been that morning.
No longer strangers. No longer just names on a list. Now, circles had begun to form.
And Caelum Virellian's name had quietly moved to the center of several.
But he didn't linger in the yard or wait for questions.
Instead, he made his way to the dining hall.
Caelum sat at the far end of the dining hall, alone. A quiet meal, plain and efficient — just enough to refuel. He barely looked up as he ate, mind already half-focused on what came next.
But someone slid onto the bench across from him anyway.
"I thought ghosts don't eat," Iryss said, grinning as she dropped her tray down.
Caelum paused mid-bite. His gaze lifted just slightly.
"I'm not a ghost," he replied.
"Could've fooled me," she said cheerfully. "Silent steps, blank face, scary mana control. You don't even blink when you fight."
He didn't answer right away.
"You talk a lot."
"I do," she said, unbothered. "But you'll get used to it."
Caelum didn't argue. He just returned to his food.
Iryss started eating too, swinging her legs under the bench like a child despite the Platinum crest on her collar. After a moment, she asked, "Was that a pulse technique you used?"
"Something like that."
She blinked. "No chant?"
He gave a small shrug.
Her eyes narrowed, a little spark of excitement in them. "Huh. So you're the quiet type with secrets."
"I just don't explain things I don't have to."
Iryss laughed softly. "You're so fun."
Caelum stood a few minutes later, tray in hand. "Thanks for the company."
She tilted her head, surprised by the politeness. "Sure."
He left, hands in his pockets, pace steady as he made his way back toward Argent Hall.
____
Back at their table, Selene had just finished eating when Elandra leaned forward.
"So," she said, lips curled in faint amusement, "what did you say to him?"
Iryss blinked. "What?"
"You and Caelum. At lunch earlier, you guys talked to each other."
Iryss grinned. "I talk to everyone."
Elandra raised a brow. "Sure. But you usually don't sit with 'everyone.'"
Selene didn't look up, but her fork paused briefly above her plate.
"Oh come on," Iryss said, rolling her eyes. "You think I'm interested or something?"
Elandra smirked. "Are you?"
"No," Iryss said firmly, though the grin remained. "He's interesting. Not the same thing."
"Mm," Elandra hummed, clearly unconvinced but too amused to push.
Selene finally spoke, voice calm. "He's strong. That's all that matters."
Iryss leaned back, arms behind her head. "Well, if nothing else, I like the mystery. He doesn't act like someone trying to stand out."
Elandra's gaze flicked between them, thoughtful. Then she leaned back too.
"Well," she said, "this is going to be fun."
The three girls sat in quiet understanding — different backgrounds, different talents — but somehow, in that moment, their thoughts aligned.
And somewhere not far from them, Caelum Virellian resumed his training, unaware that the next ripple had already begun.